Michelle Rivas

Michelle Rivas, a San Fernando Valley native, applies a social justice perspective to develop culturally relevant programs. She is dedicated to engaging young people with the great outdoors and fostering social-emotional learning and transferable skills in future leaders and activists. Michelle is concerned about the growing polarization in our communities, and she works to equip youth with interpersonal and communication skills to mobilize their community effectively.

Michelle initially worked for Pacoima Beautiful as a community resource navigator during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. After that, she transitioned to working with high school students, where she established basic needs programs, coordinated community events and developed engaging curricula for student intervention programs. Her approach focuses on empowering students to self-reflect, think critically, and question the status quo rather than telling youth what to think. She aims to connect young people with nature and raise awareness about the pressing climate crisis and local issues impacting our communities.

Michelle obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she majored in Politics and Latin American & Latino Studies. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, weightlifting, and attending sports events. She loves adventure and aspires to visit all National Parks and Major League Baseball stadiums in the United States.